Heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease are among the most common chronic diseases in the United States, and they are all closely linked.
Adults with diabetes are Two degrees They are more likely to have heart disease and stroke than people without diabetes. The same goes for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. at risk Development of kidney disease. Also, if your kidneys aren’t working well, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to your kidneys, which can lead to heart disease.
These three diseases overlap so much that the American Heart Association coined the term last year. Cardiovascular/kidney/metabolic syndrome We describe patients who have or are at risk for developing two or more of these diseases. new research It suggests that nearly 90% of American adults are already showing early signs of these related symptoms.
Only 15% of Americans meet the criteria for an advanced stage of CKM syndrome – someone who has been diagnosed with or is at high risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease, but that number continues to rise. “It’s astronomically higher than expected,” he said. Dr. Rahul Agarwal, a cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-author of the study.
This study suggests that people should pay attention early on to common risk factors for these diseases, such as excess body fat, poor blood sugar control, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. .
dangerous cycle
The kidneys, heart, and metabolic system (which converts the food you eat into energy and helps maintain blood sugar levels) work closely together. Problems with one can cause problems with the others.
One of the most important early changes in people who develop type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This happens when your body doesn’t respond normally to insulin after meals. This causes blood sugar levels to rise.
Over time, blood vessels become narrower and stiffer due to increased blood sugar levels. This means the heart has to work harder. Blood pressure increases, making it easier for blood cells and nutrients to pass through stiff, inflexible blood vessels. (People with type 1 diabetes, whose body doesn’t produce enough insulin, can also experience this symptom if their blood sugar is poorly controlled.)
High blood pressure is like burning kerosene. It causes inflammation in the body, said Dr. Chiti Parikh, executive director of integrative health and wellness at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. This inflammation, combined with insulin resistance, increases triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, contributing to plaque buildup in blood vessels. Eventually, the plaque can rupture and cause a heart attack or stroke.
All of these factors also put a strain on the kidneys: high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control, high triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. They can reduce blood flow to the kidneys and cause scarring in the cells that filter the blood. And when the kidneys can’t filter blood properly, it creates an imbalance in the amount of fluids, hormones, acids and salts in the body, said Dr. Kumar Sharma, director of the Center for Precision Medicine and chief of the Nephrology Department at the University of Texas Health in San Antonio. That leads to more inflammation and cardiovascular problems, making it even harder to keep blood sugar in check.
Blood sugar problems often start this dangerous cycle, but excess body fat, inflammation, high cholesterol, and other risk factors can also cause changes that can lead to heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes downstream. Dr. Parikh said.
prevent progression
Preventing or managing these risk factors can help treat or reduce the risk of diabetes, kidney disease, or heart problems.
During your annual checkup, your health care provider may check your blood pressure and order blood tests to measure your glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Doctors may also evaluate kidney health by measuring protein in the urine and creatinine in the blood. Another blood test can measure C-reactive protein, which can indicate the presence of inflammation, Dr. Parikh said.
Once you understand your overall health, look for areas where you can start making meaningful changes. Adding more fiber, fruits, and vegetables to your diet can help regulate blood sugar levels and lower blood pressure. Increasing muscle mass through strength training has been shown to help improve insulin resistance. And any type of exercise is beneficial for managing blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Experts recommend aiming for 150 minutes of exercise each week.
“Don’t think in terms of all or nothing,” says Dr. Estrellita Dixon, an internist at UC Health in Cincinnati.
In some cases, medications may be needed to manage high blood sugar, blood pressure, and high cholesterol. There is growing evidence that certain diabetes drugs, including newer drugs such as Ozempic and older SGLT2 inhibitors, also have benefits for kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.
Doctors said that while these may be different symptoms, a holistic approach to diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease could help prevent serious complications in the future. .
